A prisoner launched by mistake earlier this week has handed himself in, whereas the hunt continues for a international intercourse offender additionally freed in error.
Justice minister Alex Davies-Jones mentioned talks are happening with jail chiefs and a group of digital consultants has been tasked with overhauling the “archaic” paper-based system of prisoner information.
What do we all know concerning the international offender on the run?
Brahim Kaddour-Cherif, a 24-year-old Algerian nationwide, was mistakenly launched from HMP Wandsworth in south London on 29 October.
Manhunt newest: Gove says Lammy ‘does not command confidence’
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The hunt continues for Brahim Kaddour-Cherif. Pic: Met Police
The Jail Service knowledgeable the Metropolitan Police concerning the error six days later, shortly after 1pm on Tuesday 4 November, and a manhunt was launched.
It isn’t but clear why it was practically per week between the primary launch at HMP Wandsworth and the police being knowledgeable that an offender was at massive.
His launch has additionally raised troublesome questions for the justice secretary, David Lammy, who declined to say something concerning the case when requested about it within the Home of Commons by the Conservatives on Wednesday – regardless of, the truth is, already being conscious the international offender was on the run.
It’s understood Mr Lammy believed it could have been irresponsible to speak concerning the case, involving a number of companies, whereas particulars had been nonetheless rising.
Kaddour-Cherif is a registered intercourse offender who was convicted of indecent publicity in November final 12 months, following an incident in March.
On the time, he was given a neighborhood order and positioned on the intercourse offenders’ register for 5 years.
He was then subsequently jailed for possessing a knife in June.
Kaddour-Cherif got here to the UK legally and isn’t an asylum seeker, however he’s understood to have overstayed his visa and deportation proceedings have been began.
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0:50
Second mistakenly launched prisoner was arrested
He was by chance freed 5 days after the wrongful launch of convicted intercourse offender Hadush Kebatu from HMP Chelmsford in Essex.
Kebatu is an Ethiopian nationwide who got here to the UK illegally earlier than sexually assaulting a baby, for which he was jailed.
He has since been recaptured and deported.
Who’s William Smith, the second prisoner mistakenly launched?
Hours after HMP Wandsworth admitted the error regarding Kaddour-Cherif, it emerged the Class B males’s jail had additionally by chance freed William ‘Billy’ Smith, a 35-year-old fraudster.
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William Smith has handed himself in. Pic: Surrey Police
The second error by workers on the jail occurred on Monday 3 November – the day he was jailed for 45 months for a number of fraud offences.
He appeared at Croydon Crown Courtroom through video hyperlink from HMP Wandsworth, and was then by chance let go.
The court docket mistakenly instructed the jail that his custodial sentence was as a substitute a suspended one.
A correction was despatched from the court docket to the jail, however it went to the incorrect individual.
It was not acquired in time to cease him from leaving.
Surrey Police issued an attraction to seek out Smith, saying he had hyperlinks to Woking however might be anyplace within the county.
He handed himself again into custody at 10.15am on Thursday 6 November, three days after he was mistakenly launched.
In a press release, Surrey Police mentioned: “We are cancelling our appeal to help find wanted 35-year-old William Smith who was released in error from HMP Wandsworth on Monday, 3 November. Smith handed himself in to HMP Wandsworth today.”
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HMP Wandsworth in London. Pic: PA
HMP Wandsworth again within the highlight
It isn’t the primary time chaos on the scandal-hit Victorian jail has been laid naked.
The high-profile prisoner escape of Daniel Khalife in September 2023 made the headlines.
The previous soldier, later discovered responsible for spying for Iran, escaped from the London jail by clinging to the underside of a meals supply truck.
He was caught on a canal towpath by a plainclothes detective days later.
The jail was put into particular measures final 12 months as one in every of 10 jails issued with an pressing discover to enhance since November 2022.
On taking emergency motion, chief inspector of prisons Charlie Taylor mentioned the jail was “still reeling” from Khalife’s “very high-profile” escape and safety remained a “serious concern”.
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1:32
Ex-prisoner tells Sky Information ‘it is psychological in there’
What number of prisoners are launched by mistake?
Each errors observe vows by Mr Lammy that enhanced checks on prisoner releases can be launched.
The variety of most of these errors has risen lately, with 262 cases between March 2024 and March 2025 – a 128% enhance on 115 within the earlier 12 months.
Mr Taylor mentioned errors had been taking place “all the time” and are symptomatic of the chaos throughout the system.
The Jail Governors Affiliation (PGA) described releases in error as “neither rare nor hidden”.
In a press release, the PGA insisted solely 0.5% of prisoners aren’t launched on the right date, however added: “While that may appear to be a small percentage, in a system managing tens of thousands of releases and transfers each quarter, it does represent a significant operational failure.”
The circumstances to “reduce this figure to zero simply do not exist”, the affiliation mentioned, including it “feels disingenuous to see politicians attempt to extract political gain from a prison system in crisis”.
Jail system nonetheless makes use of fax machines
Requested by Wilfred Frost whether or not know-how might clear up the difficulty of “pen and paper” wrongful prisoner releases, the previous justice secretary mentioned: “That is just one aspect of the way in which our entire prison system needs fundamental reform and change, because of the use of pen and paper, the use of fax machines.”
“Fax machines? That is extraordinary,” reacted Sophy Ridge.
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5:59
‘Lammy does not command confidence’
What has Lammy mentioned?
He added: “We’re modernising prison systems – replacing paper with digital tools to cut errors.
“We’re working with police to recapture Brahim Kaddour-Cherif.”
